


The Stars May Be Beautiful, But I Know Of Something Better

by thatonedamncanadian (Shsldork)



Series: That Zombie Apocalypse Story I'm Not Finishing [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 00:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14883776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shsldork/pseuds/thatonedamncanadian
Summary: Andy sighed, “y'know how everyone thinks the night sky is beautiful? All these distant stars shining down on you, contrasting with the darkness around them?”“Uhm… Yeah. It’s really pretty. Look, if you’re going in an existential direction with this, I un-” Quinn quickly got cut off by Andy with a stern, “let me finish.”Quinn blinked a couple times, “alright. Go ahead.”Andy sighed once more and bit his lip, “well… I can appreciate how pretty it is, but I don’t understand why some people think it’s the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen.”





	The Stars May Be Beautiful, But I Know Of Something Better

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be honest, I actually think this is one of my best works? Specifically during the confession, I really appreciate the dialogue I wrote there. I'm really proud of this one, I hope yall like it
> 
> I cant be bothered to reformat this, Im frustrated enough with ao3 cutting it off at parts when i uploaded it before, so Im leaving it as is for now. If that stops you from reading it then sorry

hey babe can i come over? -A  
Quinn had received this text at 3am. Lucky for Andy, they had been staring at the ceiling for what seemed like ages, and were quite frankly bored out of their mind. Instead of saying that outright, however, they decided to let the conversation play out for a little longer.  
how long until you stop calling me babe? -Q  
It only took a second for Andy to reply, as usual.  
until you start letting me call you qtip. -A  
Quinn sighed, rolling their eyes as far back as possible, before realizing Andy couldn’t see this.  
id sooner let you call me quinntanimo bay -Q  
Another second went by.  
why didnt i think of that thats genius -A  
Before they could respond, they received another text.  
no no wait i thought of something better -A  
what is it? -Q  
quinntanimo BAE -A  
Quinn groaned. Why were they friends with him again?  
you wanted to come visit? -Q  
They were hoping Andy wouldn’t notice the quick switch in topics, but it wasn’t exactly subtle. wow what a way to dodge a subject. but yes, i did -A well you cant. not unless you stop with the nicknames -Q youre breaking my heart here quinntanimo bae -A stop calling me that or im not inviting you over anymore -Q okay, okay, but im still calling you babe -A fine. come right over then. -Q already here. look out your window. -A Quinn’s brows furrowed. They jumped up from their bed, reaching the window and opening it slightly to see outside. Lo and behold, there he was in all his glory. He waved at them before calling out, “go get dressed! I’ll wait in the car!” “Dude, shut up. You’re gonna wake up my parents.” “Then hurry up and get down here so I don’t have to keep yelling at you!” Quinn groaned before rushing to their dresser, pulling out the first shirt they could find and pulling a plain old pair of track pants over their bare legs in a hurried attempt to get dressed. They had major bedhead from lying in their bed for hours, but they figured they didn’t have a lot of time left before Andy made a ruckus with honks and hollers, so they decided it was good enough. They rushed outside, one shoe not even on, and hopped in the passenger seat. Andy raised his eyebrows. “That was quick.” With a single beat, not even looking away from the shoe they were tying, they responded, “yeah, well, you didn’t give me a lot of choice. Another 10 seconds, you would’ve started blaring your horn at me.” “Oh, c'mon, I’m not THAT impatient.” Quinn stopped tying their shoe to look over at Andy, making eye contact. They maintained eye contact for a moment, with the most unamused expression they could manage, before Andy broke the silence, “that DOES sound like me, doesn’t it?” “You think?” “Just tie your shoe. I’m getting antsy.” “See what I mean? You’re not exactly the most patient.” “Tie your shoe or I will wake your parents up.” “And get told I can’t spend time with you anymore for the next while? Hah, I could use the vacation.” Andy moves his hand to hover over the steering wheel, before Quinn pipes up, “dude, I’m just kidding. Don’t actually wake up my parents.” “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” A smug smile of triumph appeared on his features, and in the same instant, Quinn finished tying their shoe and dropped their foot from the dashboard. “Alright, let’s go!” Andy revved up the engine, put the car in gear, and drove away from the parking spot, eager to get back on the road. Quinn stared out the window, looking at the buildings passing them both by, taking in the city lights during the night. Quinn always thought cities looked prettier during the night time, even if they were concerned with most people’s electrical bills, considering how often they tended to keep their lights on after dark. They supposed that’s what lights were for though, after all, and tried to pay little mind to it. They noticed Andy humming to himself, drawing them away from the window and turning in his direction. Quinn had a couple of questions, but they started with, “so where are we going anyway?” To this, Andy’s response was a shrug. “Wherever my hands take us.” “Well, they better not take us too far. If I’m not back by morning, my parents will flip.” “Well, just text them and tell them that you went on a little road trip with your good pal Andrew.” “I didn’t bring my phone with me, smart ass.” Had Andy not had his eyes on the road, he would’ve looked at Quinn like they had three heads. “Well, why not?” “You think I would’ve thought about grabbing my phone with you rushing me?” “Uh, yeah! What happens when I accidentally get us into a car accident and go unconcious? Who’s gonna call the ambulence?” “I am.” “With what phone?” “Your’s, silly.” Andy’s eyebrows furrowed, but he kept his eyes straight ahead. “You don’t know my phone’s password.” “Yeah, I do.” “Fine then, smart aleck, what is it?” Without missing a beat, Quinn responded, “your mom’s birthday.” Andy went silent, and Quinn smirked. “It’s not everyday you stop the conversation, Andy.” “I’m trying to focus on the road.” “You weren’t before?” “Don’t make me turn this car around.” “Or what? You’ll drop me off at home, where I can finally get some peace and quiet to get a good nights sleep?” “Y'know what, just because you said that, I’m not gonna turn the car around.” Quinn tried to stifle some laughter, but couldn’t hold it in and let out a chuckle. Andy pursed his lips. “What’s so funny?” “You can be so petty sometimes, it’s hilarious.” Andy rolled his eyes, and Quinn looked out the window again. It looked like they had left town, and were already going down a long, dusty road. They angled their head upwards to get a good look at the night sky, smiling at all the stars shining down on them. Soon, the car came to a stop at the side of the road, and Andy smiled at Quinn’s direction. “We’re here.” Quinn opened their door and stepped out, looking around at the vast landscape of nothingness. It was isolated - they could see no other cars, and the only thing surrounding them was the grass and the dark night sky. “Where is here, exactly?” Andy gave his signature shrug, before opening the trunk to reveal he had brought blankets. Quinn raised an eyebrow. “You’re not like… expecting us to sleep here, are you Andy?” “What? Dude, no. This is for comfort purposes only.” Holding the blankets in one hand, Andrew closed the trunk. He threw the blankets onto the hood of the car and climbed up, spreading the blankets out. “Andy, what are you doing?” Andy turned to face them, a smile on his face, “well, we want the best view, don’t we?” Realizing Andy’s intentions, Quinn looked the car up and down, sizing it up. “Is the car even wide enough for us to sit on top? Besides, aren’t we gonna leave a huge dent in your car because of our collective weight?” Andy had positioned himself on top of his car and stroked an imaginary beard, before reasoning, “well, I would’ve brought my mom’s truck, but I don’t know where she puts her keys. Besides, if she found out I borrowed her truck without asking, I’m pretty sure I’d be in an early grave.” Quinn smirked, “not like that’s stopped you before.” Ignoring Quinn’s comment altogether, Andy patted the spot next to him on the car’s roof, to which Quinn responded by climbing up and sitting next to him. “Y'know, I’m surprised you’re not already in the grave, Andy.” Andy shrugged, “I’m likable enough.” “Rita gets annoyed with you a lot though.” Andy scoffs, “she doesn’t count, she’s annoyed by literally everything.” Quinn considered this for a moment, before nodding, “that’s a fair point.” Before the conversation could continue, Quinn let out a long yawn before rubbing at their eyes. Andy gave them a genuine smile. “You tired, dude?” Quinn laughed, “how did you know?” “Lucky guess,” Andy yawned too, bringing his hand up in an attempt to block it out. He stared at the sky for a few moments before rubbing his neck, making sure to avoid eye contact with Quinn. “You okay, dude?” Andy snaps to attention, “what? Oh, uh… Yeah, I’m all good, man.” “You sure? You’re acting a bit weird.” Andy scoffed and leaned back, “Weird? I’m never weird.” “Whatever you say man,” Quinn shrugged. They looked back up at the sky above them, taking it in. They wondered what was going on with Andy, but knew that if they asked, they weren’t likely to get an answer. Their eyes drooped and they yawned again, and they found it hard to keep their head up, so naturally they thought it’d be a good idea to rest their head on the closest comfortable surface. That surface just so happened to be Andy’s shoulder, but he flinched, making Quinn jerk upward. They blinked a few times before turning their attention in Andy’s direction, and noticed a red forming on his cheeks. “Dude, seriously, are you gonna tell me what’s wrong or not?” Andy scowled, “look, I’m working on it.” This is when Quinn furrowed their eyebrows closer together, “working on it? You’ve never really had to work on telling me something before, what’s stopping you now? You’re one of the whiniest people I know.” Andy crossed his arms over his chest, huffing out, “well, maybe I’m not whining this time.” Quinn frowned, and put a hand on Andy’s shoulder, “look, whatever it is, everything’s gonna be fine. You can tell me.” Andy stared with his mouth slightly agape at his friend, blinking a couple of times before looking away again. He was looking down at his feet, keeping his arms crossed, then looked at the sky. “Dude,” Quinn began, “seriously, you’re scaring me with how quiet you’re being.” Andy sighed, “y'know how everyone thinks the night sky is beautiful? All these distant stars shining down on you, contrasting with the darkness around them?” “Uhm… Yeah. It’s really pretty. Look, if you’re going in an existential direction with this, I un-” Quinn quickly got cut off by Andy with a stern, “let me finish.” Quinn blinked a couple times, “alright. Go ahead.” Andy sighed once more and bit his lip, “well… I can appreciate how pretty it is, but I don’t understand why some people think it’s the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen.” Quinn looked over at Andy and realized Andy was looking directly at them, maintaining eye contact this time. “And why’s that, Andrew?” Andy smiled, and as sincere as it was, there was an edge to it. An anxiety about what would happen next. “Because I know someone who… when everyone else is looking at the night sky, all I want to do is look at them. The night sky is beautiful, but I can see that any night. Finding someone this special… it’s a once in a life time thing, and I really want to treasure them because the stars might be around longer than they are,” he glanced down at his feet again, a red tint finding it’s way to his cheeks yet again, “and as much as I want them to stay with me, I feel like they’re really unpredictable. I love that about them, but it’s also really fucking terrifying. Especially right now…” He trailed off, any other words getting lost in his head. Quinn’s furrowed brows soon lifted as their eyes widened, realizing what - or who - Andy was talking about. They were frozen, unable to form any cohesive words or move a muscle while they processed what this meant. Was this a confession? Is that what all this was about? Soon, Andy spoke up, “look, it’s-it’s fine if you don’t like me back, I just need you to say you’ll still be my friend no matter what. I can’t lose you to something as stupid as my feelings, but because they’re so confusing I can’t tell what you’re going to say or how you’ll respond and I just need you to say you’ll stay. Please?” Quinn blinked, finally coming back to reality after trying to think of how to respond. They still found it hard to form words, so they did the next best thing to convey how they felt - they took hold of Andy’s hand and smiled at him. When they could finally form a coherent sentence, they responded, “I’m not going anywhere, Andy.” Andy’s eyes widened and a huge smile spread across his face, before it quickly faltered, “does this mean you like me back or-” Andy was quickly cut off by a peck on the cheek, his cheeks redness getting worse by the second. “Does that answer your question?” Andy laughed, “nope, sorry, didn’t quite catch that. You’re gonna have to clarify.” “I like you back, Andrew.” He pouted, “aw, I thought you were gonna kiss my cheek again.” Quinn shrugged, “figured it wasn’t clear enough, so I thought I’d try a different tactic,” Quinn yawned through their words and leaned on Andy’s shoulder again, except Andy didn’t jerk away. Andy leaned his head on their’s and wrapped an arm around their shoulders, pulling them closer. They both closed their eyes, smiling gently. After a moment or two, Andy spoke up, “Hey, Quinn?” “Yes, Andy?” “Does this mean I can call you Q-Tip now?” “No.” “Dammit.”


End file.
